Mays-Wild Butterfield Research Fellowship in Physical Natural Sciences

The Governing Body of Downing College, Cambridge, invites applications for election to the Mays-Wild Research Fellowship.

This Research Fellowship is open to graduates in any area of Physical Natural Sciences from any university. It is intended to support the early careers of exceptionally talented researchers who will go on to make significant contributions in any field of the Physical Natural Sciences including, but not limited to, Astronomy, Physics, Materials Science, Chemistry and Earth Sciences. As such, these Fellowships have normally been awarded to candidates who are approaching the end of their doctoral research or are just commencing postdoctoral study.

The stipend is £35,608 (Step 39 of the University Salary Scale). This figure is reviewed annually and standard increments awarded during the coming academic year will be included before October 2026. The Fellowship can be stipendiary or non-stipendiary, for 3 years from October 2026 and is not renewable.

The successful candidate will become a full Fellow of the College, as well as member of the Governing Body, and will be entitled to all the rights and privileges of a Fellow. Accommodation within College, which would be subject to availability, is chargeable at a market rate.

Although this is a research post, Research Fellows are expected to take advantage of opportunities to undertake a small amount of University and/or College teaching up to four hours per week in term time (remunerated separately) and may be requested to act as a Director of Studies for the College if required.

Applicants must upload the following documents to the online application system: 

1. A curriculum vitae (of no more than three A4 sides) including details of higher education, degrees awarded, positions held and a list of publications.
2. A document (of no more than 1200 words in length and no more than two A4 sides) containing descriptions of your current research, of the research you propose to undertake during the Fellowship and the impact you expect it to have.

Applicants must also supply the names and contact details of two referees to enable letters of recommendation to be uploaded by the closing date. Each referee will also be asked to provide the names of two further readers, not in the candidate’s institution, to whom work might be sent if the candidate is long listed. It is the duty of the candidate to ensure that the referees submit the references and the names of two readers before the deadline. The prospective Head of Department must supply a letter stating that access to space and facilities to support the applicant’s research will be available for 3 years.

Applications will not be considered in the competition until all references and names of additional readers have been received.

At the beginning of February 2026, the College will contact long-listed applicants by email to ask for samples of written work, up to 10,000 words (either published papers, manuscript in press, or chapters of a doctoral thesis). This work must be uploaded within two weeks of sending the long-listing e-mail.

The deadline for applications and references is Wednesday 31 December 2025 at 12.00 noon.

To apply for this Fellowship, please click the 'Apply' button above.

Further particulars can be found at: https://www.dow.cam.ac.uk/people/vacancies/academic-vacancies or obtained by emailing research-fellowship@dow.cam.ac.uk. 

Advert information